“Nagso-solo ‘yan, nag-iisang anak, nag-iisang pamangkin, nag-iisang apo, lahat ng pangarap namin naka-angkla sa kanya,” Mr. Salera described further in an interview with the UPLBPerspective. Uriel, 18-year-old sophomore, died of cardio-respiratory arrest on the early morning of Saturday, August 20.

Thoughtful and loving

Mr. Salera depicts Uriel as respectful, thoughtful, loving, affectionate, and a kid with a good sense of humor. Uriel is known to his family as someone who stands against abuse, especially against women.

He also recalled that road trips with his son serve as their bonding activity. “Yun ‘yung panahon na nakakapag-usap kami ng medyo masinsinan, nag-re-range ‘yan from politics, science, to philosophy to religion.” Mr. Salera works in Lipa City, Batangas, and only gets to bond with his son on weekends.

According to Dr. Salera, on the night of Thursday, August 18, Uriel asked for permission to go to the campus early Friday morning, August 19, for a scheduled jogging. “Ayaw siyang paalisin ng lola niya kasi sobrang aga ng alis, sabi sa kanya, mga 4:15 umalis,” she said.

UPRC King Rancher Aliana Cotejo confirmed to the UPLB Perspective that their applicants were scheduled for training on that early Friday morning.

They scheduled the jogging at 5am. It is part of the applicants’ training process. “Halos lahat sila ay nagsasabing pagod na sila kaya naging walking na lang sila ng isang ikot sa Freedom Park,” said Cotejo. She said that the only medical concerns laid to them by Uriel were his mild scoliosis and dust allergy.

Given the nature of the organization, practicing the Rodeo sport, a strenuous physical activity, Cotejo admitted that there are no medical professionals assisting in the duration of the process.

Two of Uriel’s friends confirmed that he had difficulty walking after the jogging activity.

Malapaya stated that Thursday, August 11 was the start of the process, however Uriel had his interview with the organization on Tuesday, August 16. This is because he was staying in his home in Calamba, and cannot stay late in the campus.

She then added that on Thursday, August 18, Uriel asked for permission if he could stay in La Ville to rest after the jogging the following day.

On late Friday night, before the clock struck 12, Uriel’s relatives heard two gasps.

According to the family, Uriel was unconscious and unresponsive. At around quarter to 12, his aunt facilitated cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) for around 10 minutes. Uriel was later rushed to the hospital but still was not resuscitated.

According to the death certificate read by the family to the UPLB Perspective, Uriel died due to cardiorespiratory arrest. Furthermore, Mr. Salera said that he decided not to call for an autopsy so as to honor the body of his son.

Uriel’s wake lasted for three days at St. Peter Chapel and his body was laid to rest on August 24.

The Rodeo Club learned of Salera’s death at around 8am, August 20, Saturday. “Minessage at tinawagan namin ang family; first na nakausap namin ay ‘yung father. Somehow, we are good terms with the family. Since grieving, di namin sila masisisi.”

UPRC’s Cotejo denied that there was a push-up activity on that Friday morning.

The family recognizes that while it is possible that the organization involved has no direct relation to the death of Uriel, the activities that transpired on Friday morning might have been contributory to the sudden departure of the 18 year-old.

The family also emphasized that all they want is for all student organizations in the University to be aware that their process for the applicants may lead to deaths, just like Uriel’s case. However, they still have a message for UPRC.

The UPLB Perspective has confirmed that Mr. Orlan Salera, father of Uriel Salera has sent a letter to the Office of Student Affairs. He is requesting Dr. Nina Cadiz to conduct an investigation regarding the death of his son.

When sought for a brief statement on Uriel’s death, the UPLB University Student Council (USC) expressed their deepest condolences to Salera’s family and friends. “Mahirap at nakakalungkot talaga ang pangyayari, and the least we can do for now is to get the details of the whole picture, avoid any hasty generalizations and sympathize for his loved ones and family,” the USC added.

Admin to UPRC: Don’t say anything

Cotejo disclosed to the UPLB Perspective that they talked with the Student Organizations and Activities Division of the Office of Student Affairs (SOAD-OSA), Office of the Vice-Chancellor for Community Affairs (OVCCA), Office of the Public Relations (OPR), and Los Banos Municipal Police.

[FIRST UPDATE: 29 August 2016, 8:20 PM] UPLB Perspective has confirmed that Uriel Fabello Salera, an 18-year-old student of the College of Veterinary Medicine, passed away on Saturday, August 20, 2016.

Salera’s immediate family confirmed in an interview that Uriel’s cause of death is cardio-respiratory arrest. According to the student’s relatives, on Friday morning, he underwent a round of jogging at the Freedom Park. Salera went home to Calamba City, and arrived at around 9 p.m. of the same day. The jogging was part of the application process of an organization he intended to join.

The UPLB Perspective will bring you more information as we confirm details of this developing story. [P]

“Paninindigan natin ‘yan,” UP President Alfredo E. Pascual vowed when asked if he is ready to face charges against him.

UP Los Baños and UP Diliman students, together with All UP Workers Alliance, stormed the 1320th Board of Regents (BOR) Meeting where PAEP was interrogated on Thursday, August 25 at Quezon Hall, UP Diliman.

The #BORProtest is a system-wide mobilization called for by the Rise for Education Alliance in the UP System. All UP Academic Employees Union (AUPAEU) Los Baños and Diliman Chapter, and All UP Workers Union Diliman joined the demonstration.

UPLB and UPD University Student Council (USC) Chairpersons Merwin Jacob Alinea and Bryle Leaño lead the negotiation with President Pascual. They raised the students’ concern on the Student Academic Information System (SAIS), which caused enrollment fiasco in UPLB; the eUP Project; and the Socialized Tuition System (STS). On the other hand, All UP Workers Alliance registered their calls on the unreleased Collective Negotiation Agreement (CNA) Incentives, and the junking of contractualization.

In the fast talk, Chairperson Leaño asked President Pascual on his stand in the junking of STS, eUP and contractualization. “Wala sa powers ko ang pagtatanggal ng kontraktwalisasyon,” PAEP said. The President also pointed out that the BOR shall decide whether the STS be junked or not.

“Definitely, we will not junk eUP!” he then pointed out. However, PAEP added that a review on SAIS will be done.

PAEP vs UP students

Chairperson Alinea stressed the abandonment of the administration at a time when the students plead for support during the online enrollment. The supposed “online” enlistment, however, caused students to camp out in the UPLB campus where the SAIS website can be accessed.

Alinea expressed, “If I’m not mistaken, ‘di lang po ito concern ng UPLB. Sayang nga po na wala dito ang UP Baguio, UP Manila, at UP Cebu, pero we can attest that during our General Assembly of Student Councils, we are all calling to junk eUP since hindi po deserve ng mga students ang ganitong service na as a state university ay nagpoprovide ng accessible education for all.”

Moreover, Alinea raised the issue regarding the lack of faculty, infrastructures and facilities in UPLB, when instead the administration is prioritizing eUP.

In line with the discrediting of the eUP Team on the “System Error: An Investigative Study on the Implementation of eUP Project in the University of the Philippines” of Ronn Joshua C. Bautista and Khrixia Zhienelle A. Subingsubing, UP Diliman College of Mass Communication (CMC) students, Hazel Lobres from the college council demanded for a public apology from the administration.

“We would like you to issue a public apology because it was a direct attack to the CMC Department. Dinidiscredit mo po hindi lang yung mga estudyante namin kundi pati po yung mga professors,” Lobres stated.

Daniel Lorenzo Mariano of College of Arts and Letters (CAL) SC also raised his dismay on the rise of profit-generating infrastructures, yet no plans for the school buildings. “Sobrang bilis ng pagpapatayo ng Town Center o TechnoHub pero atrasado pa rin ang FC [Faculty Center] namin,” he said. Mariano recounted the CAL FC fire last April 1, which took the building down.

The All UP Workers Alliance urged the Pascual administration to release their CNA Annual Incentive as per provision of CNA. Dr. Guillermo said that only digested figures were being highlighted every meeting, and not the solution to the issue. He reiterated the violations of the Pascual administration on CNA and DBM Circular 2015-2 on CNA Incentive, and unfair labor practices. Moreover, the Ombudsman case against PAEP was already filed.

According to the Civil Service Commission, “Collective Negotiation Agreement (CNA) is a contract negotiated between an accredited employees’ organization as the negotiating unit and the employer/management on the terms and conditions of employment and its improvements that are not fixed by law.” In CNA, those who can enter are the accredited union and the employer/management.

Collective Action

Simultaneous with the BOR Protest in UP Diliman, mobilizations in UP Manila and UP Baguio also took place.

Raising their placards while registering their call to junk SAIS and eUP, delegates from UPLB marched from Vinzons Hall to Palma Hall, where they merged and marched with the All UP Workers Alliance and UPD students to Quezon Hall.

The dialog with UP President ended with the singing of UP Naming Mahal. SR Manuel urged to continue the fight and mobilization even outside of the BOR. The August 25 mobilization concluded with the throwing of paintballs on the walls of Quezon Hall as a sign of protest. [P]

In order to register the students’ call to junk the Student Academic Information System (SAIS) which caused enrollment fiasco, more than 800 students and faculty members hold a protest rally, chanting “The students, united, we’ll never be defeated” which marked the first day of classes in UP Los Banos on Wednesday.

The protest rally called for the extension of registration; postponement of classes and other operations; approval of all petition sections; explanation on the dubious and exorbitant fees; holding PAEP, UP administration, and eUP Project proponents accountable; junking of SAIS, and dialogue with the Office of the Chancellor.

The students demanded for a dialogue with UP Assistant Vice President for Development and Director Jaime D.L. Caro, eUP Project implementer, reported to be in the Office of the Chancellor. However, the UPLB administration responded by locking down the Main Library, and lying on the whereabouts of Dr. Caro.

Student protesters successfully gained entry in the building, leaving the glass door broken. They occupied the third floor where administrative offices are housed. Although there is a clamor from the students for Dr. Caro to face them, the assistant vice president has been able to leave the building, leaving the questions of the students on SAIS unanswered.

“Bakit ba kayo galit na galit?”

Juan Paolo Akihiro, Office of Public Relations staff, blatantly asked why UPLB students are in raged. His exact words say: “Bakit ba kayo galit na galit?” He said this as he negotiated with the University Student Council (USC) as students urged for a dialogue with Dr. Caro.

Negotiations in front of the Main Library ensued with different admin staff facing the student protesters.

37.7 M for SAIS

According to AVP Caro, 37.7 million has been allotted for SAIS, and is good for five years. These include the 14.1 million for the Oracle Software Perpetual License and 23.6 million for the implementation/deployment cost.

Moreover, other costs of the contract with ePLDT for Oracle Software and Implementation amounted to 27.8 million which accounts for System Integration Cost (1.1 M); Hosting Services (19.6 M); and Training on Technical/Users/Trainers (7.1 M).

As for eUP expenses, in general, Dr. Caro reported a total of 724.9 million. These include particulars such as Information Systems-related Expenses (215.1 M); Other IT Expenses (54.7 M); Internet and Communications (90.7 M) and; Infrastructure and Equipment (364.4 M).

AVP Jaime Caro commented on the number of student protesters in front of the Main Library, saying that they are just few students: “Konti lang ang estudyanteng nasa baba.” As the student protesters gained entry in the building, AVP Caro has already been evacuated.

Selected members of the media from the UPLB Perspective, Rappler, and Inquirer were allowed to enter the Office of the Chancellor. AVP Caro gave a presentation on eUP. He discussed the recent DoS attack in the system, expenses of the eUP, UP System bandwidth, top universities in Asia Pacific using Oracle Peoplesoft Campus Solutions, leading institutions on Oracle Campus Solutions, and Systems Integration.

SAIS is the new enrollment system which replaces the homegrown SystemOne. SAIS is part of the eUP Project by UP President Alfredo E. Pascual.

The protest rally started in the SU Amphitheatre where the annual Org Fair 2016 ‪#UPLBUnite: Sama-samang Sumusulong Tungo sa Libreng Edukasyon organized by UPLB All Student Councils Assembly, together with the Rise for Education – UPLB, took place earlier on Wednesday.

The said org fair is a venue to showcase the culture of organizations in UPLB which elicits camaraderie and is eventually geared towards nation-building. The students marched to Oblation Park, Physical Sciences Bldg, Carabao Park, all the way to the Office of the Chancellor.

All UP Academic Employees Union (AUPAEU) joined the mobilization wherein they gave a solidarity message. Professor Liberty Notarte-Balanquit addressed PAEP, saying: “President Pascual, this is the huge wave of bodies you are waiting for.”

“You want a battle? We’ll give you a good battle,” Prof. Balanquit said.

Dialogue with the University Registrar

With the successful entry in the building, the students intensified their call for dialogue. However, no administrative officer faced the protesters but University Registrar Myrna Carandang and Assistant to the Chancellor Acordia. Chancellor Fernando Sanchez was reported to be out of the country, while AVP Caro was reported to have left the building.

While waiting for the response of the admin to the call for a dialogue, the program continued in the third floor looby with solidarity messages from different student councils and organizations, as well as cultural presentation from the demonstrators.

After series of negotiations between USC Chairperson Merwin Alinea and University Registrar Carandang through a phone call, it was settled that the dialogue be at the first floor lobby of the Main Library.

During the consultation, issues on the registration process were raised. Students demanded for extension of registration period, citing the reasons. These include prerog, long lines of student loan board, petition courses, and such. Moreover, students urged for direct statement from Dr. Carandang with regards to absences matter incurred during registration period. The university registrar, then, assured students that a request shall be filed to the Chancellor to make a memo for those students still not registered, not be marked absent.

Registration issues tackled in the dialogue include the unjust prioritization scheme of SAIS, the comparison of SAIS to SystemOne, MRR and LOA, among others.

Dr. Carandang urged students to not compare SAIS to SystemOne. Students asked the university registrar on her stand on junking SAIS. “There are things that are beyond my jurisdiction, there are preps which should be done,” Dr. Carandang answered. “I will not say yes just to make you happy. If SAIS is really a big, big, big failure, then I’m with you,” she said.

The university registrar also highlighted that PAEP wanted to talk to the students. “A van may be used to accommodate students on the way to Diliman…pero kung sampung trak naman, I will coordinate with Berto kung ano man ang desisyon regarding sa meeting with PAEP,” she added.

Jethro Pugal, student, pointed out that a single car that transports PAEP to UPLB is what is needed, not vans nor trucks transporting UPLB students to UP Diliman.

The dialogue concluded with the reiteration of the issues raised and resolutions, to be forwarded to the UPLB administration.

The protest rally ended with the dialogue, with the assurance from University Registrar Carandang to forward the calls of the student body. Prop materials, bannering the calls of student protest, were left posted in the Office of the Chancellor. The dialogue ended at aroung 8:30 in the evening. [P]

University of the Philippines’ Electronic UP (eUP) Project makes Student Academic Information System (SAIS) to be the new official online registration system of UPLB in lieu of SystemOne for the 1st semester, A.Y. 2016-2017.

A pilot run for SAIS was made during April 2013 in the UP System Office, and two UP campuses: UP Manila (UPM) and UP Open University (UPOU). On October 2013, SAIS was officially launched in UPM and UPOU. Moreover, an online mock enrollment with SAIS was held during the dates of April 26-28 and was extended until May 8 in UPLB.

With a five-year budget of P751.9 million, eUP makes use of imported system software from PeopleSoft Campus Solutions program, which is created and developed by the United States’ Oracle Database.

Big companies such as the Electronic Philippines Long Distance Telephone (ePLDT) Incorporated, Beacon Systems, and Smart Communications Incorporated, are main investors of Oracle and eUP. Under Oracle are five information management systems, which included SAIS.

SAIS has a lot more features than its predecessor, SystemOne, which will allow students not only to enroll in their preferred subjects, but to also pay for fees, to request for documents, and to view unofficial grades. Faculty and staff will also more easily manage enrollment and student requests online.

SAIS and eUP are all part of the “UP Strategic Plan 2011-2017: The Path to Greatness” which intended to turn UP into a globally competitive university alongside other top Asian campuses.

SAIS VS SystemOne

First developed in 2004, SystemOne has been serving for the past 12 years as UPLB’s official online registration system (ORS). Over this course of time, various local IT-skilled students, professors, alumnis, etc. have contributed to develop SystemOne into the user-friendly software it is today.

According to SystemOne Administrator, Mr. Rommel V. Bulalacao, what makes it so user-friendly is its capability of guiding students towards courses in the university, available subjects, allowed number of units to take, and more. “[SystemOne] works in conjunction with REGIST and most of the features na sinasabi nilang student-friendly ay nanggaling din sa REGIST,” said Bulalacao.

However, with the arrival of the new academic year is the arrival of SAIS – a program that is “being used at over 800 campuses in more than 20 countries.”

When asked to compare SAIS with SystemOne, Prof. Bulalacao had this to say, “As a web developer, as an IT practitioner, nung tinignan ko yung site, meron talagang mga points of concern. And I’m not saying this because of my bias for being the administrator of SystemOne and developer ng SystemOne.”

Bulalacao explained that the reason operating systems were developed and upgraded was to patch up the security holes in the older versions and that these older operating systems were no longer as secure as the newer ones. “Now to ask the users to go back and install Windows 7, Windows XP; hindi sya magandang sign…. It’s a web application so it should work regardless of the [operating system].”

Students react to SAIS

UPLB students have various opinions regarding the implementation of SAIS in the first semester. Despite its notoriety in universities and companies abroad, SAIS does not seem to be well-liked within the Elbi campus.

A student from the College of Arts and Science (CAS) has deemed SAIS as a hassle and questioning why SystemOne must be replaced when it was finally operating quickly and smoothly.

Coincidentally, one student from the College of Veterinary Medicine (CVM) finds the new ORS to be more complicated than its predecessor, saying that SystemOne was more comfortable to use because of the simple user interface.

From the College of Development Communication (CDC), a student states that it was “infuriating… because it was implemented in such short notice even though it is technically and aesthetically subpar.”

Many students are still dubious of using SAIS instead of SystemOne due to the imperfect user-experience. With this in mind, Prof. Bulalacao advises the students to study the mechanics of SAIS instead, since it is what is available. [P]

The Student Academic Information System (SAIS) implementation in the current UPLB’s registration system led to students going to the campus by 10 PM this July 30 with hopes to access the site as some students attest that it can be opened faster using the UPLB wifi.

It was later confirmed by the University Student Council through the SAIS team that access is better using UPLB’s internet connection. The post has then received violent reactions from students.

Amidst safety concerns within the campus due to the recent rape incident, curfew was lifted in front the Physical Sciences building in order for students to access the SAIS site.

As of 12:31 AM, July 31, around 200 students were gathered in the Physical Sciences Building trying to enlist their subjects using the UPLB wifi.

There were also some students assembled beside and along the College of Economics and Management and School of Environment Science and Management at 12:49 AM.

“The USC is trying its best to help out the students. We have been coordinating with the OUR and the SAIS team. We have been monitoring the SAIS group round the clock
Right now, some USC members are stationed at physci to monitor and check on the students there as well. We are trying our very best to address all the concerns of the students. Nahihirapan din naman kami kasi medyo hindi buo or malinaw yung information na binibigay nila at times when we have queries sa OUR or sa SAIS team.Nakapag labas na ang USC together with other college student Councils ng statement regarding SAIS. Sana mapansin na ng admin at marealize nila ano na ang nagyayari. Napansin na tayo ng ibang tao at media, sila wala pa ring ginawa,” USC Councilor Sairah Mae Saipudin said in an interview.

Student gets blocked by UPLB Twitter Account

A student was blocked by the University of the Philippines Twitter account (@UPLBOfficial) for calling them out on the social networking site for reposting Instagram posts instead of helping students amidst the registration debacle.

The UPLB Twitter account managed by the Office of Public Relations (OPR) has since been asked to comment about the issue. The publication hasn’t received any reply yet as of 12:59 AM, July 31. [P]